Lyme Disease in Children

Lyme is greatly under diagnosed or misdiagnosed and that it is an epidemic (or close to it), in this country. It took us over 10 years to discover that this was what our daughter had been sick with since 2002...

LIFE IS WORTH SHARING!

As a mother of a child with Lyme disease and other health issues and author of the book “The Misdiagnosed Child,” I’ve talked to several mothers of children with difficult health and behavior issues and many of these children have Lyme disease. These are usually very difficult cases and can’t be “fixed” overnight.

Lyme disease in children usually presents itself with several symptoms and is often not diagnosed until it becomes a chronic problem and has had a chance to spread to other systems of the body. The central nervous system seems to be one of the main systems hardest hit with this illness in these children and can be one of the most difficult to treat and diagnose.

This can also greatly affect a child’s behavior in ways you may not realize, for instance, Lyme disease can cause a condition in children called PANS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndrome), which is a subtype of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and can cause extreme behaviors in children including anger and frustration. A parent that is not aware of this won’t understand what is happening and may think they are bad parents or they have a bad child when this is not the case at all – it’s just a physical problem, in this case a bug that is in essence attacking the child’s body and causing the immune system to attack the child’s brain. This is why it’s so important to get to the root cause of the problem and fix it.

Lyme disease is a tick borne illness and is caused by the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi). Other bacterial co-infections often occur with Lyme disease and can complicate this illness even further. Babesia is one of those co-infections that can ‘ride’ along with the Lyme bacteria. It is a protozoa and protozoans can be neurological nightmares and cause a lot of pain and suffering. So anyone that’s being tested for Lyme disease should also be tested for all of the different co-infections that can go along with it.

I, along with many others believe that Lyme is greatly under diagnosed or misdiagnosed and that it is an epidemic (or close to it), in this country. It took us over 10 years to discover that this was what our daughter had been sick with since 2002 (although the tests were not conclusive that she had it she has had several Lyme co-infections, Lyme symptoms, and other Lyme markers and we know the test is grossly inaccurate). The CDC has finally admitted that Lyme disease is way more prevalent in this country than they originally thought. According to Lymedisease.org,

“The CDC upped its official count of Lyme disease cases in the US to 300,000, ten times the previous number.” You can read more here. You can also see the CDC press release here.

Lyme disease symptoms vary from headache, stiff neck, fatigue, aching joints, to obsessive compulsive disorder, fever, numbness and tingling, concentration and memory problems just to name a few. One thing to make note of is if you or a family member has gotten sick in the past and have never been the same since, then you should consider being tested for Lyme disease.

There are 3 stages of Lyme disease 1) early localized Lyme disease, 2) early disseminated Lyme disease, and 3) late disseminated Lyme disease. As with any illness the sooner you get it diagnosed and treated the better. This is especially true with Lyme disease because the longer it goes without treatment the harder it is to get rid of and you don’t want it to turn into a chronic illness. Lyme disease treatment usually starts with oral antibiotics if caught early enough, but if the disease has progressed to a more serious stage then IV antibiotics are often used. Other Lyme treatments may also be needed if other systems are affected. Natural treatments are also used successfully to treat LD but should only be used under the supervision of a health care professional that is proficient in treating this disease as it is very hard to treat successfully.

One of the most important things is to remove the biofilm that the Lyme bacteria and other ‘bugs’ produce and surround themselves with as a mechanism of protection. This biofilm provides a place where they can hide – from the body, from tests, and even from antibiotics. This makes it very difficult to treat the Lyme, co-infections, or whatever else maybe hiding behind it.

A person can also have genetic problems that can make detoxing more difficult and a host of other issues that can hinder or slow down the process of getting rid of the Lyme and getting well. This is why you should find a doctor that knows what he is doing and has a successful track record in treating Lyme and the other co-infections.

Many people have had Lyme disease and have been treated successfully and now have a normal life, but it is vitally important for people with LD to be diagnosed and treated early especially children. So if you or your child are afflicted with LD then do your homework and don’t waste any time – the sooner you’re treated appropriately the better.

DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matter relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The opinions and information in this book are from the author’s own, personal experiences and are not intended to be used as medical advice. Any resources mentioned herein or referenced physicians are not affiliated with the book or the author. This book is intended for information purposes only.

Editor’s note: If using any of our articles please see our disclaimer.